Bowling game board



J. WILLARD 2,453,610

BOWLING GAME BOARD l Nov. 9, w48.

2 shets+sneet 1 Filed'oct. '17, 1944v IN VEN TOR.

, Jess Afa/ ard ATTD R N EYB Nw. 9, me. J. WILL/RD 2,453,610

BWLING GAME BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Filed oct. 17, 1944 Patented Nov. 9, 1948 BOWLING GAME BOARD Y Jesswiuarafivfnnot, N.,Dak.

,Appiieationdtttei 17,1944,seria1Nm559,014

1 claim. (o1. 273;;37)

l This invention appertains to indoor games generally, and more particularly to a surface projectile type thereof for playing the game of bowling.

An object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive game apparatus of this kind, which includes a game board,`

that is representative of a bowling alley, for either individual or team bowling.

Another object of the invention has to do with the provision of a game apparatus as hereinbe fore characterized, wherein, in lieu of the usual ball return gutters or trackways of the standard bowling alley, certain end and side walls of the game board are curved in a manner to effect the return of projected balls back to the point of play.`

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a pocketed housing at one corner of the game board, preferably in proximity to the point of play, for the storage of the play pieces,

Figure 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View on the line 5 5 of Figure 1; Y

Figure 6 is a view in end elevation of the game board, and

Figure 7 is a section `on the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the game board, as it is exemplified therein, is comprised in a i'lat oblong base I0; a foot piece I2 extending transversely of the under side of the base,`

toward its rear end, to slightly incline the same in a downward and forward direction. The front edge of the base I0 is beveled as at I4. Mounted on the top plane surface of the base are a rear end wall I6 and right and left hand side Walls I8 and 2U, the inner sides of which deinner sides of the rearwardly directed ends ofthe The forwardly directed `2() both balls and pins, during periods of non-play.

, 24, formed in line in the top surface of the thicker ne the bowling alley and the contiguous point of t play and score record areas of the top plane surface. The right hand side wall I3 is made relau tively narrow and straight, while the rear end Wall I6 is madeto greaterthickness and has its inner side curved in a mannerto merge into the side walls I8 and 26. end portion of the left hand side wall 2i) is made considerably thicker or wider, as at 22, than the rearwardly directed end portion thereof, which may tal/:e the same thickness as that of `the right hand side wall i8, exceptwhere it merges into the rear end wall I6 and the thickened portion 22. At its junction with the thickened portion 22, the inner end 23 of the sidewall portion 20 curves inwardly and forwardly and as a ball engages this surface it is directed toward the front right hand corner of the game board.

The equipment, in addition to the game board as thus constructed, is comprised in a number of balls 28, four of the Same being provided in the present instance, and ten pins 3B, the latter to be set up in the usual order on spots 32 inscribed on the top plane surface,l of the base Ill, toward the real;` end of the exposed areathereof. When not in play, the balls 28 are retained in depressions or wider portion 22 of the side wall 20, while the pins 3-0 are seated endwise in recesses 26, formed in the inner side edge of the portion 22, substantially as shown. I

The play of the game is substantially the `sarne as in regular bowling; each bowler taking position at the front end of the game board and rolling a ball 28 along the exposed plane surface of the base I0 toward the pin setup, from a point or area of play 34, which is immediately inward of the front end I4 and to the right of a scoring record area 36 that is also inscribed on the plane surface, between the play area 34 and the portion 22 for housing the balls and pins, during periods of non-play. Each player in turn is allowed to bowl two balls, unless he knocks down all the pins with one. is fully open.

The game board, balls and pins, may be made to any desired size, suitable for indoor play, and from any suitable materials which will permit 'I the play to closely approximate that of regular bowling. The rear wall I6 is provided inl its rear side with recesses 31 adapted to receive the balls when the game board is packed for shipping, the

pins being placed in the recesses 26.

I claim:

A toy bowling game comprising an `oblongshaped gameboard simulating a bowling alley, said game board having sidewalls with the inner surfaces of the far ends thereof curving inwardly and together describing a semi-circle at the far The front end of the gamelboard 3 end of the board, the opposite end of said board being open, the end of one of said side walls at the open end of the game board having a wide portion of greater width than the width of the wall end and having ball-receiving recesses in the upper surface and pin-holding recesses in the inner side surface, said Wide portion having an arcuate inner end merging with the adjacent inner surface of the side wall for directing balls traveling along thewall toward the opposite corner of the board, the upper surface of the far end of said board having a plurality of circles thereon positioned in a, triangle to represent ten pins on a bowling alley, and a stationary foot-piece on the underside of the game board transversely positioned across the far end of the boardvfor' facilitate the return of balls rolled toward the pins in said far end back to the open end of the board by gravity.

JESS WILLARD.

REFERENCES CITED Theollowing references are of record in the le of this patent: p UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name v Date 785,668 Fernald Mar. 21, 1905i 1,326,071 Lloyd Dec. 23, 1919 1,487,137 Apostolski ,Mar. 18, 1928 1,510,998 Marsh Oct. 7, 1924 1,933,406 Bardocz Oct. 31, 1933 1,962,899 1 Hagy June 12, 1934 2,221,267 Robertson Nov. 12, 1940 

